Now a senior citizen.....tightly clutching my sense of humor for dear life

Friday, June 28, 2013

I love them.....

Trees. I love every leaf on their branches and their majestic beauty makes my heart swell. I guess that's why I've been happy living among so many of them for over 40 years.

I have 26 mature trees in my yard....most of them Oak. Most people take trees for granted and never stop to think about the benefits they offer us. Trees and other plants are vital to our existence in more ways than just providing wood and paper products.

A couple years ago the house next door to me sold and the new people moved in. A young couple who have since had a child. They are good people but keep to themselves, like most everyone else in my neighborhood. One day shortly after moving in he visited with me over the fence for a few minutes. He told me then that he "hated trees". He was originally from a huge farm where there were few trees to get in the way of their farming operation. After fall came and went and he experienced all the work involved with raking all those leaves, I'm sure his dislike for trees only grew.

Yesterday it was hot and humid and I was inside with the AC on. I let my dog out only to see a bunch of workmen in my neighbor's yard with chainsaws. I watched in horror as a perfectly healthy beautiful tree nestled against my fence that separates his property from mine was being cut down. Several more in his yard met the same fate. These were healthy mature oak trees and I felt like someone was hurting one of my children. The chainsaws grated on my nerves and the realization that something that took so many years to grow was being needlessly eradicated almost made me physically sick. That area in my back yard looks strange now since there has been a tree there for the 40-some years I've been here and for probably a 100 more before that.

There is nothing I can do. They are on his property and he has the right to cut them. I won't say anything to him either. A good neighbor knows when to keep their mouth shut. One of the biggest trees in the neighborhood sits on the corner of his property and I'm just praying that it's big enough that he won't tackle that one next.

Sigh. Us older folks hate changes anyway but we understand that a lot of changes are necessary. I just have a hard time dealing with the unnecessary ones.

In other news.....I am now all caught up with Downton Abbey. I watched all 3 seasons and all I can say is "wow". Terrific series that proves you can have a winner without nudity and obscene language. I have also watched two seasons of The Game of Thrones and I love it. A lot more nudity than is necessary, the obscenities are frequent both in word and gore, but the plot is terrific. I watched Downton Abbey through Roku and The Game of Thrones by DVD that I purchased. If you have not watched either one, they are both worth your time.....unless the things I've mentioned above would bother you. One cute thing.....Baby Dragons!!!!

I totally agree with you. I'd be heartsick, and so would my husband. We used to have a next door neighbor who not only hated trees, he apparently hated bushes and shrubs as well. He liked grass, but that was all. He manicured frantically every weekend, leaving large bags of formerly green stuff on the curb for pick-up. Then he set out a Saint Francis bird bath on his sterile lawn. He wondered why the birds were afraid to visit.

I so agree with you about the trees. In my last home, I had 5 trees between myself and the neighbour. He cut so many branches on one of the trees (it was hanging over into his yard) that it looked like a single trunk with one large branch. AND then he had the audacity to put the branches in my yard!Since I've sold, he must be thrilled as the new owners have taken down every tree in the yard. They also removed the grass, killed off of the perennials and now the front yard is a parking lot. It makes me sad to see it so I try not to drive by very often.Enjoy your trees!

I AM A TREE HUGGER. But after one of my beloved trees became a tree IN MY LIVING ROOM, I'm now paranoid and had a large tree taken down TODAY. Odd that you talked about loving trees. I DID. I DO. But in hurricane winds....not so much.

She Never Judges Me.....

About Me

Val is just my nickname, but I answer to it. I'm 60-ish; almost as round as I am tall, and have always tried to view life with a sense of humor. I'm a Pisces and its sometimes hard to be me because I may not always know just who ME is!